Not all tzaddikim are equal. Different individuals attain
different levels of holiness and righteousness. The Torah calls our
attention to these distinctions when it describes Noah and Abraham
with similar yet slightly different phrases.

Regarding Noah, the Torah states that he “walked with God”
(Gen. 6:9). To Abraham, on the other hand, God commanded, “Walk before Me”
(Gen. 17:1). Noah walked with God, while Abraham walked
before God. What is the difference? Which is better?

Interestingly, we find in the Torah a third expression for living a
holy life. The Torah charges us to “walk after the Lord, your God”
(Deut. 13:5). Where does ‘walking after God’ fit in?

Repairing the Universe

We must first understand this metaphor of ‘walking.’ Why
not ’standing with God’ or ‘running with God’?

After Adam sinned and the natural order underwent a drastic shift,
God did not seek to correct the world instantaneously. Rather,
humanity was to gradually correct itelf, repairing the
universe in stages until “the earth will be filled with awareness
of God” (Isaiah 11:9). This is the inner significance of the
walk of the righteous: a slow but steady moral progression.

Similarly, the Sages wrote that prophecy is not revealed to the
world all at once, but in a measured fashion, according to our ability to
receive and
assimilate it (Vayikra Rabbah 15:2). This principle is true for all forms of divine wisdom.
Enlightenment is granted to each generation in a measure
appropriate for that generation, in order to uplift it and prepare
it for the future.

Before the Torah’s revelation at Sinai, the world was not ready to receive
its full light. Enlightenment is only bestowed
according to the world’s capacity to accept it. Nonetheless, the
universe always contained a hidden potential for its future
spiritual level, when it could absorb the Torah’s light.

Two Paths of Progress

But how does this explain the difference between the ‘walk’ of Noah
and Abraham?

Before Sinai, there were two paths of spiritual growth. The first
path was to perfect oneself according to the spiritual state
appropriate for that generation. This is called ‘walking with
God': perfecting oneself in accordance with the divine ideals and
aspirations that were ordained for that time.

A higher path was to aspire to a level beyond the normal state for
that era. This was an extraordinary spiritual effort, in order to
prepare for and hasten the highest level of enlightenment — that of
the Torah itself. This striving for the spiritual betterment of
future generations is referred to as ‘walking before God,’ or
walking ahead of God.

The Torah tells us that Noah ‘walked with God.’ Noah was just and
good according to the standards ordained for his time. For this
reason, the Torah emphasizes that Noah was “faultless in his
generation.” His level of righteousness corresponded to the
moral expectations for his generation.

Abraham, on the other hand, sought to awaken the entire world to
integrity and holiness. Abraham ‘walked before God,’ preparing the
world to be ready for the greatest enlightenment, the Torah. Since
Abraham helped ready the world for the Torah, the Sages wrote that
he fulfilled the Torah before it was given (Yoma 28b).

Striving for Sinai

What about the third form of walking, ‘walking after God'?

Once the Torah was given, and God revealed the purest divine light,
we struggle to merit that pristine light that was revealed and
subsequently hidden from us. It is impossible for us to reach the
enlightened state of Sinai without first correcting our various
failings. Therefore, we cannot be expected to ‘walk with God,’ and
certainly not ‘before God.’ All we can hope for is to ‘walk
after God’ — to strive after the historic level of
enlightenment that was revealed at Sinai. In our efforts to reach this
level, we prepare ourselves to approach this state of
enlightenment, until God “renews our days as of old” (Lamentations
5:21).